Zelco's Outi Headphones Zap Sound Through Your Body

Bypassing the air and sending sound waves directly through your body to your ears is nothing new—bone conduction technology has been around for years. But these headphones take it to a new level of ridiculousness, with some great side effects.

The idea of bypassing the air and sending sound waves directly through your body to your ears is nothing new—bone conduction technology has been around in some form or another for years. However, these headphones take it to a new level of ridiculousness, with some wonderful side effects.

Hang the Outi ($110) like a pair of clip-on earrings, and the sound reverberates through your earlobes. Because the "headphones" rely on sending the sound through your cartilage—instead of blowing waves at your eardrums—it's very difficult for you to unintentionally damage your hearing.

But this is where it gets weird: Because the sound-producing part of the headphone is actually on the outside of the ear, your cubicle-mates will likely hear more of your music than with most earbuds. But you'll hear far less of them. Even when the music is playing at a moderate volume, it drowns out any and all nearby conversations. And thanks to Outi's physics, the perceived bass is both intense and felt through your entire body. Dig it!